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(No Model.)

A. NOBLE,

FUSE POR PROJBG'HLES. NQ. 372,814. Patented NOV; 8, 1887.

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`Ulsiirni) STATES ATENT Genios.

'-ANDREw NOBLE, OF NEWcAsTLE-UPON-TYNE, ENG-Lern, Assienon To W.

v Gf ARMSTRONG, MITCHELL 85' CO., (LIMITED) OF SAME PLACE. f

FUSE Foe PROJECT-ILES.

SIPBCIFICATIN forming part of Letters Patent N o. 372,814, dated November 8, 1887.

Application filed May 10, 1887. Serial No. 237,736. (No model.) Patented in England February 6,18B5,No. 1,673, and in Italy December 3l, 1885, No. 19,133. Y

To @ZZ whom it may concern: j

Beit known that I, ANDREW NOBLE, late captain in the Royal Artillery, of Jesmonddene House, Newcastle-upon'lyne,England, manu- 5 facturing engineer, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fuses for Projectiles, (for which I have received Letters Patent in Great Britain, 'dat-ed February 6, 1885, N o. 1,673, and in Italy, dated December 31, 1885, No. 19,133,) of which the following is a speciication.

This i|1 v e .nntion has for its object improve ments in fuses for projectiles.

The fuses to which this invention relates are armed or rendered sensitive bythe movement of a bolt or locking part,caused by the rotary motion ofthe projectileimparted by the riflef grooves of the gun. The explosion takes place on impact, a pellet of fulminating material then coming into contact with a cone or point by which the explosion is determined. Such fuses may take different forms. Various eX- amples are shown in the drawings hereunto annexed.

Figure l is a longitudinal section of one form of the fuse, in which the fnlminating material is carried by the movable weight. Fig. 2 is a modification of the same fuse, in which the point or anvil is carried by the weight. Fig. 3 is an endview of another modication of the fuse, adapted to be screwed into the base of a projectile. Fig. 4 is a section of the fuse on the line A B, and Fig. 5, a section on the line C D. In this fuse two actions are required to render it sensitive, first, the pressure ofthe powder-gases in thc gun when tired,

and then the rotation of the projectile in the gun. Figs. 6 and 7 show longitudinal sections, and Fig. S a transverse section, of another modication of the fuse. This modication is so contrived as to insure that it shall not become sensitive until the projectile has left the gun. Fig. 6 is a section on the line BB, Fig. 8. Fig. 7 is a section on the line A A, and Fig. 8 a section through the line D D, Fig. 7. Figs. 9, 10, and 11 show the fuse combined with time-fuse mechanism. Fig. 9

nose of the projectile.

In Fig. 1, which shows a fuse to be inserted I* into the nose of a projectile, Z is ,a cylindrical main chamber forming the outer body or casing and having around a portion of its cx.- terior a screwthread to allow of its being screwed into a hole formed to receive it in thc It contains within it a small cylindrical weight,A,=capable ol' movement within the interior of the chamber, which is of corresponding form. There is a passage,

Aa,bored through v this cylindrical weight anially, and in this passage the fulminating-pellet B is lodged. The movement of the weight within the main chamber is prevented, until the time of firing, by means of a locking part, which, as shown, is formed by a small bolt,G, capable of moving radially in a side chamber or passage, C', formed to contain it at the fore end of the main chamber, and this bolt itself `is locked by a split pin, D, inserted into ahole parallel to the axis of the fuse and of the projectile,and there retained by a small transverse wire, E. All endwise movement ofthe weight A before the projectile `carrying the fuse is fired, is prevented byaring, A?, of lead or other compressible material, carried at its rear end, being pressed against by a perforated screw-plug, G, which closes the rear end of the fuse.

The action ofthe fuse then is as follows:

When the projectile is started rapidly into4 .moves outward or away from the axis of the `fuse by centrifugal action, thereby freeing the small,y cylindrical weight A, -while the locking partoccupies the side passage, C. XVhen the leaying-the gun, encounters l an` robstacle' and its'foi'wardmovement 1s cliecke/dfthe'cylindrical weight A continues itscourse and passesto the front end of its. chamber. Thepeilet B of'fulminating' material is'thus broughtinte :contact with-.a cone or point, F, iixcd in the, end of, the, chamber,

- and the explosion' ensues.

' pellet B, and this pellet is lodged in a cavity in a screwfplu'gfH, made to screw intoA the front end of thecylindrical chamber. This arrangement-*admits of the screwgplug, carry ing the pellet or detonator B, being readilyl removed from thefnse, and' replaced when eircumstances may render this advisable., In other respects ,-the,fuse.- isconstructcd in the waydescribed with referencelto' lFig. 1;

In the fuse shown atFigs.,-3, 4,. and 5,'w-hichisadapted tobe screwed intoithe baseof a pro. jectile, the. cylindrical weight vand centrifugal locking-bolt have to bereleased by the action ofthe powder-gases. The fuse has a cylindrical cavity, I, in its .rear face,which is closed vby a disk, J, and this is lsupported in its place bya leaden ring, K.' ITwo screws, L, are in-` serted into the disk, and their heads overlap the fore' end of the cylindrical weight A and preventit from moving forward. The radial bolt C also is kept in place to dog the weight against forward movement by a double pin o'r staple, M, parallel to the axis of the fuse, and held down in its place either by a coiled spring, N, as shown, or by a pillar of softvmetal.

When the gun .is fired', the powder-gas acts against the movable disk J in the base ofthe fuse, and, crushing the leaden ring K,by 'which it-is retained,- drives it forward so far as to carry the heads Aof the screws L clear of the end of the cylindrical weight A and allow it freedom to move. At'the same time the disk J comes against the rear end of the double pin or staple M and lifts it out of the way of the radial bolt, compressing the spiral spring vN,'or crushing the piece of soft metal which opposes the movement of the staple. Then,

' as before, as soon ,as the projectile takes up the rotary motion which the grooves in the gun impart to it, the bolt C moves outward', leaving the cylindrical weightA entirely free.

When the forward movement ofv the projectile is checked by impact with any obstacle,

the weight A moves forward, bringing the fulminating-pellet'B into contact with the cone.

or poi-nt F, provided to tire it. The dash passesforward through perforations in the screwf; plug'O, which closes the front end of the fuse,

and which carries the cone orpoint F, and the main charge contained within the`body of the shell is ignitcd.-

In the modification of the fuse shown at Figs. 6, 7, and S the release of the cylindrical weight is so contrived as to insurethat it shall A not talre-placabefere the projectile hasleft thel gun. :Therese shown isndapted toy bescrewed into thenose of a projectile.

Between the fore end of the weight Afand f 7 0, thegfloeking, part, formed in this,instance-V by@` the front of the chamber within which it moves hard-metalball, P, instead of the bolt before described, is provided,aud this ball-.is held in l its place by a ring or outer cylinder, Q, surl rounding the weight and projecting from its fore end. A notch is cut'in the ring, and. in this notch the ball P is lodged. A projection from the weight also enters this notchl and rests against the'bal-L The outer cylinder or riug,fQ,iis-prevented fromi-moving along: the

weightAl until the gun is fired, by a copper cap,-R, which' is'placed on the fore end of the ing iianges supporting the rear end vof ,the ring Q., A stud, Q', projecting fromthe sideof the.

ringcnters agroove in thelside of .the cyliu-f drical chamber and preventsrthegringyfrom turning. When the gun is lired, the..alagSI-f on the coppercap are insufficient to retain the, I

ring Q in its place, audits inertia icauses-,it to fall to the rear.

entering the side passage, X, formedabetweenj dat surfaces and constituting a spiral or snaillike enlargement at the fore end of, the cylindrical chamber. At the instant when ,itis .reg leased the ball P is resting against the side or wall of the chamber, whereit yapproaches most nearly to the center or axisof the fuse. When the projectile com mcnces to revolve, this .ball rolls along the wallsof the chamber outwardly.

The metal sphere. P, whichA l the ring previously retained, nowliinds itself IOO away from the center until, inally,when it has made about three-fourths of a revolution, it

drops down into a small pocket, S, provided for it at, the extremity of the side passage, X, where it is retained out of the Way. Then, as

in the previous case, the cylindrical weight A,

being 'entirely free, it moves forward in yits chamber as soonas the velocity of the projecr ro tile is checked by impact. The fulminatingpellet B tlien comes into contact with the cone or point F, provided to effect its discharge. It explodes and the dash passes back, asin the fuses previously described, to the main charge i within the shelli Y in the modification shown at Figsnl 1G,and

11', in which the percussion-fuse is combined y with time-fuse mechanism, the, parts of the percussion-fuse are constructed -in the same manner -as in Figs. 6, 7, and 8, and marked with the same letters of reference, whilethe time mechanism isof ordinary construction.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed,

declare that what I claim is In a fuse for projectiles, the combination of the'body of the fuse having the main cham' ber or cavity, the weight within said chamberand movable lengthwise thereof, the side pase commnnicatifngwith the fore end of the ber of thev fuse, substantially as and for the 'main chamber, and the locking pari; normally purpose setforth. Y regained in position against the fore end of the Y Weight for (logging-ibagainst forward movel 'i A NOBLE 5 ment, and by the movement outwardly,by way Witnesses: v A

of the side passage, imparted to said locking WM. JOHN GRE* L .parta by therotatio'notL-:the projectile, the Notary ablie.-

'v weight is left; free to advance within the charm. PURvIs. 

